


the sun cannot survive without the moon

by saltyb0ba



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Alchemy, Anxiety, Black Rocks (Disney: Tangled), Childhood Trauma, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Heavy Angst, Intense, Multi, Panic Attacks, Phobias, Stress, arianna is best mom, frederic still sucks, gothel has drinking problems, inventions, oops mother gothel is abusive, rapunzel and varian are siblings, sundrop and moonstone connection, varian is a prince but isnt kidnapped, worrying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:00:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24844948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltyb0ba/pseuds/saltyb0ba
Summary: In this AU, Varian is Rapunzel's blood related sibling!Rapunzel was kidnapped as a baby, but the King and Queen needed to fill the hole in their hearts after Rapunzel is stolen. They decide to have another child, and that's Varian! He has the powers of the moonstone, but swore never to use them unless he absolutely needed to.
Relationships: Adira/Hector/Quirin (Disney: Tangled), King Frederic of Corona & Quirin (Disney), King Frederic of Corona & Varian (Disney), Pascal & Rapunzel (Disney), Queen Arianna of Corona & Rapunzel (Disney), Queen Arianna of Corona & Varian (Disney), Queen Arianna of Corona/King Frederic of Corona (Disney), Rapunzel & Varian (Disney), Ruddiger & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 76





	1. new dawn (prologue)

**Author's Note:**

> a few clarifiers:
> 
> varian is arianna and fredric's child in this AU  
> gothel is not killed the way she is in the OG movie
> 
>   
> Thank you so much for clicking on this story! I've worked super hard on it, and hope you have as much fun reading it as i did writing it!

A long time ago in the kingdom of Corona, there was a King and Queen. They were content with their lives, their beautiful kingdom prospering and well taken care of, but felt something was missing. Most other royal families had started a family, one that ensured their rule and heightened their reputation. Queen Arianna wanted a baby purely for the purpose of being a mother. King Frederic wanted a child for the purpose of continuing their legacy and making sure the royal family of Corona lives on, having a fear that if something was to happen to them, Corona would be left without a feeling of security and happiness. 

Some amount of months later, the Queen grew deathly ill. The king feared for the Queen's life and was desperate to keep her alive. He pleaded for information about a way to heal her, some way to make her get better. One of his advisors stepped forward. 

"If we wish to save her majesty, we must use the sundrop flower. It has the power to heal even the most dire of illnesses." He sounded quite sure in his word, successfully convincing the King that this information was trustworthy and that it was true. Putting a hand on his advisor's back, he mouthed a thank you, the advisor responding with a polite nod. Then, the King sent for the Captain of the Guard to deal with finding the sundrop, as he couldn't bear to leave his wife while she was in pain. Once the Captain arrived, King Frederic informed him of the situation and what to do, stressing that the retrieval must be quick as possible. Now all they had to do was wait.

\---

Over in the Dark Kingdom, formed by pointed black rocks, King Edmund swore 3 members into an order he called "The Brotherhood". Their mission was to protect the Moonstone from being found at all costs. The Brotherhood consisted of Adira, a female warrior well versed in fighting, Hector, an animal tamer with a Rhino, one of the most destructive of animals, and two binturongs, and Quirin, a person of his word and one that could be trusted with the most valuable of secrets. What they didn't know was that Quirin was a close friend of Frederic's, and swore loyalty to King Frederic. He would do anything for his friend. This left the other members prone to betrayal, but the trust they had in each other was unwavering. 

Betrayal wasn't a concern.

\---

Sipping from the bowl provided to her, as a result of the successful expedition for the sundrop flower, Queen Arianna felt almost instantly better, the pain from her throat and her chest quickly receding. She thanked everyone involved, and requested some alone time with the King. Not wanting to defy the Queen's orders, everyone gathered up their things and left, quietly talking to each other as they walked through the doors. The Captain posted guards outside to make sure no one disturbed them.

"Are you feeling better, my love?" Down on one knee, his hand cradling her face, Arianna could hear a hint of concern in her partner's voice. 

"Yes, thank you, Fred," She put her left hand on his and kissed it. "I'm sure our baby will make it through." With her right hand, she gently rubbed her belly. A smile creeped across her face, complimenting her tired eyes. 

"I love you, Arianna." He gave her a kiss.

"I love you too, Fred."


	2. cloudy skies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rapunzel is a toddler in this chapter! she can walk around, but still needs to sleep in a crib.
> 
> for those of you wondering if i'll have an upload schedule:  
> i will post chapters every other saturday, this week is just writing as many chapters as i want to so we can get this story off the ground!!

The giggles of Princess Rapunzel could be heard down the hallway from her parent's room. They had just gotten her a stuffed Chamelon and she loved it. She called the plush "Pascal" and announced she would take it with her wherever she went, she was that attached to it already. King Frederic and Queen Arianna, sitting on the edge of their bed lined with soft silk sheets, smiled as they watched their adorable child play with the green lizard, pretending he was a big scary monster one second and a ruler of a kingdom the next. Suddenly, a guard opened the door and asked for the presence of the King. Frederic turned to Arianna before leaving.

"You ladies have fun now, you hear? Don't stop playing until I get back." He said in a playful manner. He got up from the bed, and walked towards the tall bedroom doors. Turning his head one last time, he winked at his wife, which earned a chuckle from her. With a soft click, the doors closed and it was just her and Rapunzel.

"Pew pew pew!" Rapunzel made what she believed were accurate jumping noises as she held the plush and started jumping up and down, moving "Pascal" with her as she jumped so it appeared he was also jumping. With a smile, Arianna suggested a game they could play called "Tag". Rapunzel's eyes lit up as her mother explained the idea and she got very excited. 

"Can Pascal play tag too?" She eagerly asked. In a mock voice, she made "Pascal" say that he wanted to join the game, to which Arianna said yes.

"But just make sure he doesn't tag me, because he's it!" Arianna exclaimed. She started slowly running around the room, picking her dress up so she wouldn't trip on it, Rapunzel shortly following and copying her once she understood what was happening. She made "Pascal" growl and start chasing her mom.

\---

The guard started talking to Frederic as soon as the bedroom door shut.

"Quirin has requested to see you, Sir," The guard informed Frederic as they walked down a hallway lined with decorative silk banners embroidered with their kingdom emblem. "He says he wants to check up on things with you."

"Thank you, Klaus, please invite him into the library. I will talk with him there." Nodding, the guard set off to retrieve Quirin. The King headed for the library, sitting down in one of the many reading chairs available. It was surrounded by books that others who had sat in that chair before had finished reading. Frederic heard a small click in the direction of the door and turned his head towards the entrance. Sure enough, it was Quirin.

"How have you been, Fred?" Quirin walked up to him and just as Frederic stood up to return the greeting, Quirin gave him a hug. Frederic hugged him back. He had not been expecting the visit.

"I've been playing with my daughter, so I've been pretty good," Fred invited him to sit down. "Although I would like to know how things are going on your end. How is the Dark Kingdom faring?"

"It's seen better days," Quirin sighed. "I didn't need to catch up with you, we already do enough of that in our letters. I came to ask if you could spare us some of your imports. The townspeople are low on food, and being in the location where the Dark Kingdom lies, there's unfortunately not enough good land to grow and harvest what we need. Please know I am asking for a huge favor, Frederic. It's understandable if you deny me." He looked at Frederic with pleading eyes, clearly depending on his approval.

"We can spare a few, hopefully it's enough. Our people will survive, the subjects of Corona are strong. Now, don't you want to have a friendly chat with me over some treats?" Frederic chuckled, happy to talk to his friend in person again.

\---

Later that night, after Quirin had left to return to the Dark Kingdom with good news and Rapunzel and Arianna had finished playing tag, worn out from all the running around, the royal family went to sleep. Rapunzel could still fit comfortably in her crib, so they kept her in their room, just to give her an extra sense of security. Rapunzel was safe here.

"Goodnight, you two sleepyheads." Arianna whispered to an already sleeping Rapunzel and a Frederic who was starting to doze off. She gave Frederic a kiss and then went to sleep herself.

It was a very windy night. There were gusts of wind blowing everywhere. The wind was strong enough to push the balcony door open, with a small creak. Then a shadow appeared on the balcony. It had the shape of that like a demon, dark and foreboding. It took the opportunity to walk inside the bedroom, making sure it took as many quiet steps as possible, careful not to disturb those who might threaten it's plan. It closed in on Rapunzel's crib, starting to sing a song. The power of the words in that song caused Rapunzel's hair to glow, a secret only the shadow knew and put to good use. It lifted up a lock of her hair with bony finders, and used a pair of worn scissors to cut it. It jumped back, finding that the lock of cut hair turned brown when it was cut. It dropped the scissors out of surprise, which accidentally landed on "Pascal" and cut a huge hole in him. It realized what it must do. It took and cradled Rapunzel in it's arms somewhat forcefully, and headed towards the window, it's foot getting snagged on a ripped plush as it went. It managed to get it's foot free, ripping the plush even more in the process. Then Rapunzel started to cry. She was uncomfortable and confused and tired and just wanted her parents. This woke up Frederic and Arianna, who sat up just in time to see the shadow perched on the balcony door holding their child, casting them a stony glare.

And with a crack of lightning, the shadow was gone.

The kingdom was never the same after that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the plush pascal's name is in quotation marks because he's not the real pascal!
> 
> it's like that so i don't confuse people with the actual pascal ( who will appear in this story! don't worry pascal fans, i gotchu ;) )


	3. a new day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: this chapter mentions cancer! it doesn't go into detail with which type, but just putting that out as a warning for whoever might be triggered by it!
> 
> Summary:  
> Arianna falls deathly ill (again), and Frederic depends on an old friend to save his wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was the last exposition chapter! from the next chapter on, the story will be from varian and rapunzel's point of view. i hope you've been enjoying the story so far! if so, don't hesitate to give kudos and leave a comment! <3

One could not accurately estimate how huge the loss of the princess was. After all that the kingdom had gone through, after nearly losing their Queen, the only heir to the throne and a beloved princess was stolen. King Frederic was devastated, neglecting to see the public for at least a month after the tragedy. Queen Arianna had to handle the matters on her own, stating that “the King had other matters to attend to” whenever someone inquired where the King was. She was performing surprisingly well under all the pressure.

King Frederic, on the other hand, stayed in his room almost every day. He always sat on the edge of the bed where he was sitting with his wife, watching Rapunzel play. He insisted that the room never be touched by handmaidens. He wanted to preserve the last memory he had of her, even up to the torn chameleon, though looking at the poor thing made him tear up. One day, he promised himself, one day he would fix it. He needed to.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Frederic mumbled. The door was pushed open and his wife was standing in the doorway, looking at him with a sympathetic expression.

"I wanted to talk about something with you," Arianna informed him. He perked up and his eyes widened. "I know you've been spending a lot of time in here lately, and I completely respect that, but I was hoping you could move on. Now, before you say anything, please know that I do have a solid reason." Arianna sighed, she was not prepared for the reaction to what she would say next. "I want to have another kid, Fred. I know it may seem wrong in your eyes to want to but I feel it's the best choice we have. We can start over as parents, make new connections with our baby, instead of spending our days remembering the little time we had with Rapunzel. We can lead a better life." She looked hopeful.

"Promise me we won't stop looking for her." Frederic laid his hand in Arianna's lap.

"Promise." She put her hand on top of his and kissed him.

\---

_**5 YEARS LATER** _

While pregnant, Arianna had developed a nasty cancer sure to kill both her and the baby if not cured by the time the queen was ready to give birth. She fell ill and was laid in the same bed she stayed in all those years ago when Rapunzel's birth had been near. Frederic grew distressed. He paced back and forth, determined to save the lives of his wife and child. The world had threatened her and the baby's lives again, and Frederic could not comprehend losing all 3 of them. Quirin just happened to pop by while the Queen was having one of her worst episodes. The King quickly pulled him into an empty room and asked if he had anything that could help her. It didn't matter what it was, he would pay for it if necessary.

"Well, I do have  _ something  _ in mind. Give it a day's time, I'll travel to the Dark Kingdom and be back before you know it," Quirin assured him. "Let me return the favor, old friend." He smiled at Frederic, his gaze reaching eyes that weren’t quite there. Quirin’s smile faltered as he looked at the King, who seemed to be in an almost trancelike state, his face slack and his eyes appearing to start to glaze over. Following the King’s eyes, he found that he was looking at the door to the hallway, and felt a longing coming from Frederic. He understood what he felt and took it as a sign to leave. Now Frederic was standing there, alone. He snapped out of it as the door shut and left the room to tell Arianna the news.

Thanking Quirin in his mind as he walked through the dimly lit hallways, Frederic headed for his wife. His footsteps seemed to grow louder with every second that passed, and a silent panic began to overtake him.  _ What if he doesn’t make it back in time? Will I lose Arianna and the only chance of starting over? _ His breath was growing quicker, but he forced himself to calm down and take deep breaths. Suddenly, he was at her door. He listened to see if there was anybody inside, and put his hand on the handle of the door.

_ You can do this, Frederic. _

He gently pushed the door open and saw his wife, lying comfortably on the bed draped in magenta dyed silk blankets with small golden sun patterns woven into the fabric, her head resting comfortably on a pink pillow. She looked as if she was about to doze off, but became alert when she heard the door opening.

“Fred? Oh, Fred, come here.” She motioned for him to sit down with her, she could tell he was troubled by what was on his mind.

He didn’t hesitate for a second, and welcomed himself into the warm embrace of Arianna’s arms, finding himself needing the hug more than anything right now.

“I’ve found a way to save you, Arianna. At least, I think I have,” He had no idea what Quirin would bring back with him, no idea if it even would  _ work _ . He didn’t want to get Arianna’s hopes up if he ultimately, in the end wasn’t able to do anything. “But we will have to wait just a little bit longer.” He hoped she would understand.

“I don’t mind the wait, Fred.” She assured him. After all, she was the one in pain here. She was the one who was confined to a bed because the cancer would get worse if she moved. She could bear it a little while longer, for the sake of keeping her husband in good spirits.

She’d already done it once, and was more than willing to do it again.

\---

Quirin had arrived at the Dark Kingdom when night was about to fall. It was an entire day’s trip, on an incredibly fast horse named Josephine, and knowing the stakes were high, he couldn’t waste a second. He’d brung a basket and blanket with him too. He rode Josephine up to the palace door, avoiding the many traps he’d set up for trespassers along the way. He hopped off and opened the large, solid black rocks that formed the entrance, hoping the others were gone. Sure enough, they were. Quirin knew the routine well; get up and patrol, converse with the King and discuss what they were to do that day, perform the task and then go back to their respective rooms. It was already too late for anyone to stay up and be well rested for tomorrow, and he had said that he would be out of the kingdom all day for personal matters. That meant everyone would be out of his hair.

The moonstone is an incredibly powerful opal, capable of destroying anything. It was created when a drop of sunlight fell from the heavens, the yang to it’s ying. When it fell, it created the Dark Kingdom, pointed, jagged black rocks forming a protective circle around it so it would be protected. When it was first discovered, it was almost taken from where it currently resides. The aftermath of touching the stone was enough to convince the one who had tried to steal it to protect it from others, people who would use the power of the stone for evil. Quirin was planning to take it and give it to King Frederic, it was what he owed the King after all he’d done for him. He was the most trusted member of The Brotherhood, proven to never turn his back on his fellow members. But this was the one exception he would make. They had to understand, they _ needed _ to understand. He walked towards the room where the opal was kept, careful not to make any loud noises. Opening the door, he felt for himself the true radiance of the ancient opal. He smiled, knowing  _ this is what would save Arianna, that this was the answer to their prayers. _ Walking forward, step by step, he felt the power growing stronger. Grabbing the basket and blanket he had carried with him, he prepared to take the opal. 

Grabbing it was like experiencing a strong magnetic force, the opal positive and his hand negative, each pushing each other away because they could not touch each other. Though it was hard to keep quiet, Quirin managed to push through. He quickly grabbed the opal and shoved it in the basket, cloaking it in the blanket. He walked back to the door and slipped out to meet Josephine. Slipping the basket onto his arm, he motioned for Josephine to go back the way they came. Nodding, she traversed through the traps and started galloping once she was out on clear land. 

He had succeeded. Though it pained him to betray The Brotherhood, he had no choice. He knew he could never return home again. That was ok. It was the price he had to pay.

\---

King Frederic paced while looking out a window into the city, hoping that Quirin would be back soon. His wife was more pale than the previous night, worrying him immensely. He couldn’t handle losing her  _ or  _ the baby. Stopping to just stare out the window, he saw a moving blur on the far side of the bridge, looking somewhat like a horse. His heart raced, hoping it would be Quirin. As it got closer, it was clear that it  _ was _ him, and Frederic rushed to the nearest entrance, prepared to welcome Quirin back and speak with him about what he’d brung.

“It’s called the moonstone. It can stop Arianna’s cancer if she ingests it. The moonstone has destructive powers. It’ll work.” Quirin knew it would.

“How will she do so? We can’t just have her swallow a whole stone.” Frederic was confused. “We’ll crush it into pieces. That way, it’ll be easier to manage.” Quirin started to walk towards the door. Frederic followed, and into the kitchen they went, Quirin grabbing a bowl, and grabbing a stone he had placed in his pocket. He started to hit the stone, again and again and again and again and  _ again, _ until the opal was no more than tiny fragments of what it once was. He placed it in the bowl and filled it up with water, giving the opal a second to infuse the water. Then he gave it to Frederic.

“Go save your wife, Fred.” He said with a tired smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yep, this chapter did mention cancer! it's because the moonstone has destructive powers, and i needed something that would happen naturally in a human that would be as life-threatening as when arianna was ill before that could be destroyed without hurting arianna. sorry if it's a triggering subject, but the story worked this way so i went with it.  
> if you were wondering why the brotherhood didn't suspect or see quirin stealing the moonstone, it's for plot purposes! it's just what had to be written. 
> 
> \- salty


	4. clear skies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: alcohol abuse!
> 
> Summary:  
> Rapunzel wants to go outside the tower, which puts Gothel in a bad mood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rapunzel is 7 in this chapter!

"Mommy, why am I not allowed outside?" A young Rapunzel inquired, her eyes focused on the clouds drifting by, letting her mind wander. She was leaning on the tower windowsill again, letting her chin rest on her arms as she observed the landscape around the tower, trying to find something new she hadn’t seen before. At this age, her golden hair touched the ground and extended a few feet behind her, and when she walked, it dragged on the floor. She didn’t mind. This was her favorite thing to do, to look outside. She liked to pretend. Pretend she was a bird, soaring through the air on a cloudless summer day, using her wings to glide on the wind, or she was a very tall animal, able to eat fluffy clouds for breakfast. 

"Because you're safe here, dear." Gothel replied while she read a book, creasing her eyebrows and frowning. They had this conversation many times before, she didn't need to tell her no  _ again and again. _ She should know that she wouldn’t be safe out there.The book she was reading was on the topic of bush berries, the pages worn from use. She thought it would be useful to stay on top of the subject in case she needed food for her and Rapunzel but couldn't afford any.

Rapunzel continued to look outside, glancing at Pascal every so often and smiling. She could tell he was pretending too.  _ Someday, _ she thought,  _ someday Mother will take us out there and we'll get to run errands and do stuff with her.  _ Rapunzel got excited just thinking about it. She only had to wait. 

Pascal hopped onto her shoulder and she moved from where she was leaning, seeing what Mother was up to. Gothel was sitting in an old chair set up at a small dining table, resting her arms on it as she read. Rapunzel grabbed a chair and pulled it up, the chair making a small screeching noise as it moved across the stone floor. She stood on it and put her hands on her sides. She had learned this habit of forcing Gothel to pay attention to her whenever she wanted to ask a question but was being ignored. It happened  **_a lot._ **   
  
“What are you reading, Mommy?” Rapunzel smirked, knowing she would definitely get a new answer, not one that was the same throughout the years, the same every single time she hoped it would be different.

“I’m reading a book about berries, Rapunzel,” Gothel’s emotion didn’t change as she marked where she left off and closed the book. “Now,  _ please _ get off that chair, you know how long it takes to wash those, Rapunzel.” She was annoyed. Placing the book on the table, she walked over to the small kitchen section of their home and grabbed a washcloth. Using the sink to make it wet, she wrung it and handed it to Rapunzel. She took it and started scrubbing the seat of the chair, and once she was done with that task she moved on to the rest of the chair. She had done this countless times, and figured out the quickest way to clean it. Gothel had moved on to other things, putting it on a bookshelf accompanying many others that had bookmarks in them, too. 

“Now, what should we do next, Rapunzel?” Gothel was willing to give the child a chance if it meant that she wouldn’t be bothered again.

“Could we go outside?” Rapunzel was waiting for this moment. Gothel immediately regretted asking.  _ No, they were not going outside. _ Rapunzel was young and if left to her own devices, could wander off and be taken, Gothel’s infinite source of youth never to return again. 

Gothel simply dismissed the question with a shake of her head and went to the kitchen to grab a knife. She called for Rapunzel.

“Because you insist on asking that question, you are preparing dinner tonight. Make whatever you want, just make sure it tastes good and you make only enough for you and me.” Gothel handed Rapunzel the knife and went to her room. Rapunzel had worked with fire before and performed excellently, she had faith that Rapunzel wouldn’t mess up.

Rapunzel sighed, setting the knife down on the table, and made sure to point the blade away from her. She  _ hated _ making dinner. She could be using this time to paint or read but _ no, _ she just had to ask  _ that _ question. She knew the response she would get from Mother, ranging to “You know why, Rapunzel” to “Haven’t you learned not to ask?” yet she still did anyway. Force of habit, maybe. Letting Pascal walk down her arm, she told him to find the recipe book. She had no ideas for creating food, only creating stories and pictures  _ and songs and- _ no. She needed to keep her mind on the task at hand, or she would face even worse punishment. Pascal nudged her with the book, effectively shoving her away from her thoughts and back into reality. She took it and flipped through the pages, until she landed on her favorite recipe: hazelnut soup. She already knew where the ingredients were, though this was her first time making it. Keeping the recipe book open with the help of Pascal holding it down, she started for the ingredients. Following the recipe to a T, she was finished almost an hour later, setting up the table with the correct portions and lighting the candles.

“Mommy!” She called. “I’m done, we can have dinner now!” Rapunzel pulled back her chair and took a seat, eagerly waiting for her Mother to come down so she would be allowed to eat.

5 minutes passed. It was ok, sometimes Mother needed some time to get ready.

10 minutes. A bit out of the ordinary, but nothing she couldn’t tolerate.

15, then 20, then 25, then 30. The soup was cold and Mother  _ still _ hadn’t come out of her room. Rapunzel took it upon herself to investigate. She knew she wasn’t allowed to be in Mother’s room but missing dinner was something Rapunzel  _ wouldn’t  _ tolerate. Tip-toeing to Mother’s door, which was slightly ajar, she peeked inside.  **_Mother was sleeping._ ** And not even the normal type of sleeping Rapunzel was used to,  _ no. _ She looked like someone who fell into bed, someone who fell from a high place. Her body looked limp and messy, not stable and neat like when she normally slept.

“...Mother?” Just the small whimper was enough to stir Gothel, drunk and in a bad mood. An unlabeled bottle was broken on the floor, but far enough from Rapunzel that she didn’t pay attention to it. She didn’t even know what Gothel did. She was just upset she missed dinner and upset that Mother had decided to go to sleep early. She was worried about Mother, but understood that if she wanted to do anything about the troubling sight she had to just leave her alone. Tears had formed at the edges of her eyes as she ran up to her room, Pascal following behind. The bowls were still sitting on the table, untouched by either of them.

Flopping onto her bed bawling, Rapunzel struggled to process what just happened. It looked like Mother was  _ dead, like she was never coming back,  _ and it just messed with her mind. Pascal offered comfort, and Rapunzel took it, cradling him with her hand and pressing him close to her, Pascal reciprocating the feelings. Rapunzel was confused and sad and scared and hungry. She neglected to eat, fearful that Mother would wake fully and scold her for being selfish and wanting more food, not being satisfied with what she made.

Rapunzel was too young to be feeling this way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gothel is a character i love to hate :)
> 
> (please remember to leave kudos if you haven't already and leave a comment if you enjoyed! it means a lot <3 )


	5. chemical reactions (PART 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: references to anorexia? it's more like a loss of appetite though-  
> also references to drowning
> 
> Summary: Varian comes out of his lab, and has a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> varian is 11 in this chapter but acts more mature than most 11 year olds  
> this chapter is close to 2000 words as a lil treat for y'all ^^

“And...done!” Varian had just finished his first experiment with vinegar and baking soda, and he was very proud of it. Writing down the results, he noticed a raccoon scampering around, their paws making soft sounds on the hard floor. “Ruddiger! Show me what you have.” Ruddiger came out of the hiding space he ran into, carrying an apple he had stolen from outside. Varian sighed with relief. He had taken the raccoon in as his pet because it kept getting into the castle and he hated seeing animals hungry. His attention turned back to his science journal, his left hand holding a pen that continued to make a shaky line from where he left off. He closed it, starting to clean up the ingredients he had gotten out and heading to the room’s sink to clean out what was left of the chemical reaction, when he heard a knock at the door.

He left the counter and opened the door slightly, trying to assess who it was before letting them in. Seeing a dress touching the ground and making eye contact with who wore it, he realized this was his mother. He froze. He wasn’t expecting her.

“H-hey, mom! Can I help you?” He stuttered as he spoke. He didn’t like people seeing what he did, he valued his privacy much more than normal people.

“I was wondering if I could see how you were doing, Varian. You haven’t come out of your lab since last night.”  _ Shoot- she’s right. If she knew I pulled an all nighter again, I would be in deep trouble. _ Varian struggled to reply with something believable.

“I decided to sleep there, heh. You know how I get very focused when it comes to things like alchemy!” His words were a little shaky, threatening to reveal he was telling a lie. He crossed his toes, because his hands were in her view, hoping she would believe him. If she didn’t believe him, she didn’t show it. 

“Well, ok. But make sure, next time you go to sleep in your  _ bed, _ not in your lab. Now please join your father and I in the garden for lunch. You missed dinner and breakfast. You need to eat.” She turned away and walked down the hall. Varian closed the door and leaned his back against it, sighing as he let gravity pull him to the floor. Ruddiger hopped on his lap, looking at Varian with eyes that didn’t understand how he felt. He didn’t  _ need _ food. He wasn’t hungry. But disobeying mom would make her mad, and Varian doesn’t want people to be mad at him, so he forced himself to finish cleaning up. Taking off his apron stained with residue from past experiments gone wrong, he started towards the door. He thought about taking off his gloves too, but ultimately decided against it. Being sure to lock the door behind them, Ruddiger and Varian headed for the garden patio. 

“There you are, Varian! We’ve been waiting for you.” Frederic was happy to see his son after the previous day was taken up by meetings and signings. Those bored him to death, but it came with being king, after all. He had to get used to it. In front of him was a banquet of sandwiches, a perfect lunchtime food. Varian took a seat to be polite, but wasn’t interested in what the table had to offer. Arianna and Frederic each had something on their plate, but Varian’s was empty. He fidgeted with his gloves, visibly uncomfortable sitting there. He didn’t want to eat in general, but the fact that the only choice of food was sandwiches just lessened what appetite he still had. He promised himself he would get something to eat later.

“Why don’t you want to eat something, Varian?” Arianna was worried about him. He hadn’t wanted food as of late, and he needed to eat. Her expression reflected her feelings, and so did Frederic’s. Varian looked up and was startled to find they were both looking at him. He should've seen this coming.

"I-uh, I ate earlier!" His voice became shaky again, his eyes darting between Arianna and Frederic as he frantically thought of ways to get out of eating. Ruddiger looked at him while he lied, visibly agitated with how Varian decided to deal with the problem. He chittered, commanding Varian's attention. Pointing to Varian's stomach, Ruddiger told him that he  _ needed _ to eat, or he would bring one of his parents over while he slept in the lab, violating his privacy and seeing that Varian was lying. Varian sighed and grabbed a sandwich, one that had imported tuna and locally grown tomatoes in it. If he was forced to eat, he might as well choose something he kind of likes. “B-but I’m a bit hungry, so I’ll eat some of this..” He slowly took a bite of the sub, suddenly realizing how hungry he actually was. He started to eat it faster.

Arianna and Frederic’s worried expressions changed into smiles as they went back to eating. They were proud of Varian. 

“So, Varian, how has your time in the lab been?” Arianna inquired, knowing this would get him talking and take his mind off of anything that might be troubling him. Her gentle smile was enough to encourage him to go into a ramble about the various experiments he had been conducting and how he had finished one for the first time just before lunch. Though Arianna and Frederic couldn’t understand much of what he was explaining because they knew almost nothing about the subject, they egged him on whenever he was trailing off. He became happier as he went on, finding himself to be really proud of his work and glad that his parents cared about the work he was doing. Ruddiger was happy with himself and took a nap in Varian’s lap; Varian had been talking for a few hours now.

\---

Queen Arianna was walking through the hallways after she had tucked Varian in bed for what seemed like the first time in months. She looked out the windows and took in the night sky, the moon shining bright casting something reminiscent of sunlight. This was part of a series of unusually bright nights, starting about 11 years ago. Normally, on the night of a full moon in Corona, there are clouds obscuring the light, but ever since Varian was born, it was on and off, sometimes the moon was bright and sometimes it was not. But Arianna moved on and continued to walk, not paying attention to the ominous shadows the moon casted onto the carpet lining the castle floor.

Frederic left the planning room after he spent some time observing the model he had laid out. Every night on the full moon, some sort of rock kept popping up, unearthing anything in it’s way. They were forming a group and started moving forward, albeit slowly. Frederic was concerned about these rocks, but put them aside. They weren’t his problem right now. 

He headed towards his room, it had been a tiring day. He came across Arianna on his way and they started talking.

“I’m glad I finally got him to open up,” Arianna started. “I love him so much. Fred, he was happy.” She smiled and looked at Frederic, who could barely keep his eyes open. She realized he was pretty tired, so when they got to their room she helped him into bed.    
  
“Sweet dreams, Fred.” Arianna gave him a kiss and she went to sleep.

\---

_ Varian woke up after a peaceful sleep. His mother had tucked him in the previous night on a very comfortable and soft mattress, so for the first time in months, his back did not ache with pain. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, leaning and reaching his arm to grab his goggles from his bedside table while looking at Ruddiger, but the table wasn’t there. His hand went through the air and he started to fall. He was looking at the bed as he fell, screaming for Ruddiger, needing help. But Ruddiger didn’t respond. _

_ What was apparently his room was only a small speck of light as his body hit water. The pain was immeasurable, even worse than those days he used the lab walls as a backrest. He felt his ribs crack and his skin bruise worse than it ever had before. He let out a blood-curdling scream, but only small bubbles came out of his mouth as salty water started rushing in, filling up his lungs. He was terrified, tired, and struggling.  _

**_Everyone will forget about me,_ ** _ he thought. _ **_They don’t know what’s happened to me, I don’t even know what’s happened to me. Goodbye Mom, goodbye Dad. Goodbye Ruddiger. I love you._ **

_ As he was about to close his eyes, a golden glow encompassed them, followed by a familiar tune playing in his head. He felt like he should know the words, but he didn’t. As he finally succumbed to the murkiness of the water, he was pulled out of it. _

Varian woke up, again. He gasped and began hyperventilating, yet relieved that it was a nightmare and not real. It was still night.

Then there was an earthquake. Varian grasped the sides of the bed as his world shook. Various fragile objects stored out of reach began shaking and crashing onto the floor, startling Varian very badly. Ruddiger was nowhere to be seen, and Varian hoped he was safe. All the lights in his room had been blown out, the curtains had been drawn, but there was still a light in the room. It was light blue in color, emitting from Varian’s hair and hands. He tried to process the new information about himself as the ground kept shaking, but it was hard when there was the constant ear-splitting sound of broken glass and pottery coupled with shaking and crying. As soon as he noticed it, the color faded and the earthquake had stopped. He fell back into bed, passing out from all the stress. He had no other dreams that night.

\---

There was a frantic knock at the door.

“King Frederic! Queen Arianna! I need your attention!” Arianna woke up and rushed to the door, still in her nightgown. Opening it and seeing the guard, she asked what the problem was.

“You need to follow me, it’s best if I show you rather than tell.” He turned around and started walking fast, Arianna following with ease. They arrived at the hallway leading to Varian’s room. I was taking my place at Prince Varian’s door and went into this hallway in order to get there,” He pushed the door open. “And this is what I saw. I got you because I felt you would want to see if Varian’s ok.” The guard didn’t have permission to enter the royal’s rooms if they weren’t given it. Arianna saw that frames were off the walls, broken decorations were scattered everywhere. 

“Thank you.” She entered and the guard closed the door behind her. Picking up her dress, she navigated through the hallway, her heart racing. She knocked on Varian’s door. “Varian?” She waited but didn’t get a response. Instinct told her to open his door, and so she did. She gasped. Everything was messed up, the room looked as if it had been picked up and shaken. And worst of all?

Varian was unconscious. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay, nightmares!!!  
> sorry for the late post, this took a bit to write ^^'  
> next chapter will be up this saturday!
> 
> if you enjoyed, i'd appreciate you leaving a comment and giving kudos if you haven't already! <3


	6. announcement: mini hiatus

Sorry for not updating last Saturday! Some unforeseen events have come up and I need to deal with them, meaning there is a possibility I might miss weekends of uploading.

Please understand that this doesn't mean I'm stopping writing the fic! I'm just taking a lil break to focus on important things right now.


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